1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to managing directories and, more particularly, to systems and methods for synchronizing network directories.
2. Description of the Background
Today's computer networks run multiple operating systems and messaging platforms, each with its own directory of user and resource information. Managing these enterprise directories has become one of the system administrators' biggest burdens, and sharing such diverse directory information has been one of the industry's biggest challenges. Introduction of the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) has helped to streamline administration of these directories and improve allocation of network resources.
LDAP is a TCP/IP based open-standard protocol for accessing information services. An LDAP-enabled directory is arranged in a hierarchical tree-like structure that exchanges data via the protocol defined as LDAP. Through its hierarchical structure, LDAP-enabled directories, like databases, are specially designed to give quick responses to high-volume lookup or search operations.
Despite these advancements in directory management techniques, some system administrators must integrate messaging platforms that support LDAP with those that either do not support LDAP or that do so inefficiently. Hewlett Packard's OpenMail® B.05.10 is one example of a messaging platform where it is more efficient to use OpenMail's native directory structure rather than attempting to use LDAP. OpenMail® uses a flat structure like a telephone directory while LDAP is designed for a hierarchical directory. In a network running OpenMail® and an LDAP-enabled application like Microsoft Exchange, OpenMail® users cannot access user attribute information for Exchange users. Likewise, Exchange users cannot access the same information for OpenMail® users. None of the users, therefore, has access to a complete address book.
A lack of integration between these directories burdens end users with maintaining an up-to-date list of email addresses and other necessary user attribute information for non-native users. One possible solution is to have system administrators update each address book periodically to reflect all OpenMail® and Exchange users. This approach, however, is repetitive and inefficient. Ideally, users need access to an up-to-date global address book that lists all users and minimizes the burden on system administrators.